Cauldrons of wool

dizzy enjoying her new bed

I grew many flowers in the valley for our sons wedding, collected lots to dye my Jacob fleece, mixed with onion skins and a sneakily bought Cochineal, alum mordant. Art yarn spun on my Ashford county 2 (still getting used to it), woven on my Brinkley Loom. Fabric needs finishing and will then be made into cushions for a lovely lady who commissioned them.

Lovely sunny Sunday in the valley, really feels like springs arrived

looks like my chain plying is improving. This yarn is made by me from our own small flock of Jacob sheep. It was mordanted with alum then dyed with dyers chamomile, onion skins and three exhausts of cochineal. It amazes me how strong cochineal is, so few wee dried beasties. I then spun on my Ashford and chain plyed. Think I will crochet some new cushions for Liy and Ruby our retro caravans which we are spring cleaning ready for the season. They should be up on air b&b in May, watch this space.

Glamping down in the valley

Daisy and Ruby have had a steady flow of visitors throughout the summer. Lots of lovely people coming for an escape from busy lives to digitally detox and enjoy the beautiful green rolling hills of north Devon. Check out devonvalleyglamping, you can book through airbnb, we still have some dates for September. We will be closing at the end of September and open again next May.

Beautiful blue Flax flowers

I thought I would try and grow my own flax, it looks so beautiful but just read how to prepare for spinning, think I’m up for a bit of a challenge!

A morning with the sheep in the sunshine

The sheep need to be treated to stop nasty fly strike. Good job there’s a son home to help.

Busy time harvesting

Reaping the rewards, dyers chamomile flowers, black currants, raspberries, gooseberries and eggs. All good.

Daisy fines a home

Daisy under the oak tree

Jon has worked hard putting lots of love and life back into Daisy. She is a 1970’s Stirling one of the last ever made. He bought her at a local classic car auction. She is painted with Annie Sloan paint and has lovely Cole & Cole curtains. We have put  Daisy in the paddock, she seems to like being under the oak tree looking out across the Mully Brook valley. She will be available through airb&b in August and our website devonvalleyglamping.co.uk  we just have to make the final safety checks, electrics and gaz. She has a double bed and is quite luxurious.

 

Here is number 4, a 1979 Casseletta Carlight

Quick trip up to Newark and a night at Adam Hendson‘s farm. A snuggley night spent in stormy Cotswolds certainly proved that she is water tight. Just need to choose a colour scheme to Glamp her up for her coming out season, summer 2014. We did muse about a Rajesthani theme after our ‘trip of a lifetime’ earlier this year but  Casseletta is asking for an Italian limone flavour.  In other words Lemon yellows, which will look suburb in the Orchard down in the valley and we hope the happy holiday makers will feel cocooned in the warmth around them. Jonny says “I love her sexy curves”, must be Italian then.